The Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 6 Review: “Hounded”

So here we are, six episodes into The Walking DeadSeason 3. A year ago, this would have been the mid-season finale of the show, what with its mere 13 episode order. But this time around, the show got an order of 16 episodes, which gives us another two episodes before the show takes a break until 2013. Even then though, this feels like a mid-season finale—and an awesome one at that.

Following last week’s dull episode, I’m glad to say that The Walking Dead once again kicked things into gear, delivering another intense and awesome episode. All three of the subplots simply worked, delivering the kick-ass action and tight drama that I’m happy to say I expect from this show now a days.

The opening kicked off rather abruptly, as it became rampantly apparent that Merle and a group of other Woodbury men were out hunting Michonne. Well it would have been nice to have a scene before that (or tacked on to the end of last week’s episode) foreshadowing that Woodbury was going after Michonne, this was still a great cold open. Michonne leaving behind a message for the hunters in walker flesh was fantastic, and her attacking them was actually a shocking moment considering how violent the show usually is. Is that the first time Michonne has used her sword on an alive human being? If so, nice beheading skills there.

Speaking of the Michonne storyline, I absolutely loved her fight scene with Merle and the hard to pronounce Gargulio in the forest. There was actually some good choreography there, and the action didn’t let up when some of the walkers hit the scene. Following the fight though, it was easy to predict that Merle would kill Gargulio—but I’m curious what exactly this would mean for his character. With him joining the Governor’s gang, I thought Merle would become more of a loyal soldier than before. But it seems like he’s just as selfish and determined to save his own ass as he was before. How this will impact his current allegiance with the Governor is questionable, though. Something tells me he’s the type of man who wouldn’t enjoy having one of his top men lie to his face.

But he does seem to enjoy Andrea, though! The sexual tension with the pair has been there since day one, so seeing them finally bone each other was appropriate. And we got to see some perfectly acceptable TV-14 nudity, what with the Governor’s chest and Andrea’s naked and (GASP!) uncovered hip. Don’t forget viewers; you can have a character disembowel a zombie and have his entrails spread all on top of her, but nudity? That’s freaking nuts.

But returning to the Michonne plot for a second, I also really enjoyed the parking lot scene with her silently encountering Glenn and Maggie on another formula run. That baby is just a whole bunch of trouble, isn’t she? Whatever the case, the pair encountering Merle was actually unexpected for me, since I just kind of assumed that Merle would walk his way back to Woodbury, or use one of the vehicles that led them to Michonne in the first place. But I guess the idea of stealing a car from Glenn and Maggie helped support his lie of the group getting attacked though. All that said, I wonder if Merle would have reacted differently if Glenn responded to him being alive with more open arms. Did he really want to see his brother, or was it just a ploy to gain their favor? I guess we’ll find out when Merle tortures him next week. Thank god torture can always answer our burning questions.

The final plot element of the evening was surprisingly great as well, especially considering how much I disliked Rick’s little adventure last week. I called from the start that the phone call was a figment of his imagination, but I still appreciated how the show took it’s time with the reveal. And unlike last week’s episode, I didn’t really question Rick’s emotions at all. Right now he’s coming out of a place of fear following the death of so many members of his group. He feels like he’s failed them in some way, and that the perfect haven that he once thought was the prison is actually no better a “home” than any of them had ever had before. And well technically that’s true, I still enjoyed Rick confronting his fears head on and finally realizing that he needed to man up a bit. As another famous zombie property once said, “It’s time to nut up or shut up” for Rick. And now that it seems like all the pieces have been put in place for a battle between the people of Woodbury and Rick’s people, I can’t wait see Rick test that new mentality out.

Loose Ends:

Speaking of Zombieland, is it just me or does Merle act a lot like a meaner, more racist Tallahassee? Maybe it’s just the country factor, I don’t know.

“We having fun yet?” If this was a Party Down reference, I want to give this show all the rewards. Sadly though, it probably isn’t.

The kids in the background at Woodbury were playing “Eeny Meeny Miny Biter.” …Morbid

Rick doesn’t know how to play hard to get, does he? Just starring at the phone like he was waiting for a hot girl to call him back after a “meh” date.

Darryl’s speech about the death of his mom was great, and you gotta love Carl’s stone faced response to it. You’re life isn’t nearly as traumatic as you thought, was it Darryl?

I’m confident that Merle wants to see his brother–though it may be to kick his ass for leaving him to die. I was so damn glad to see Carole alive that nothing else mattered for me last week. I was pissed that she had such an unceremonious death.

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Matthew Legarreta is the Editor-in-Chief of Geek Binge. A big ol' ball of movie, TV, and video game loving flesh, Matthew started up Geek Binge in the Fall of 2012 to convince himself that he's doing something with his life. He isn't. Matthew also loves writing about himself in the third person, because it makes him feel important or something.